By Sara Sipe EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Editor’s note: The headline of this story was changed from the original after publishing.
Starting in 2016, Lynda Laas started making the five-hour drive from the family ranch in Chester, Montana, to Big Sky. Initially she was here to spend time getting to know her newest grandchild. Those trips became more frequent and her stays in Big Sky lengthier. By the summer of 2021 she was here full time.
It was when her grandchild started preschool that she first decided to look for something to do outside the home. That’s when she discovered, and fell in love with, the Big Sky Post Office. She was happy to find that her background in social work, ranching in a small town and community building were such a great fit for what many would consider the most social and community focused business in town. That was the fall of 2021.
Fast forward to July 2024.
“The old post office closed and went from a too-small contract facility to a new, larger federal facility. Our jobs were all ending, which in many ways was good, but it was also hard to say goodbye to coworkers and the community [members],” Laas wrote in an email to EBS.
When asked why she did not take a job at the new post office, she indicated a lot of it had to do with knowing it was going to be a complicated transition.
“They told us in advance what classification the United States Postal Service was assigning to the new facility, and we all knew three employees was not enough to get the job of day-to-day tasks done for the customers,” Laas said.
It’s that concern for the community that first started Laas on her journey to create a courier service in Big Sky. Noting the long lines and extensive wait times due to limited staffing and shortened lobby hours at the new, federal post office, Laas saw an opportunity to fill a need.
“I began setting up Tumbleweed Delivery LLC over this past summer because I saw the need and knew I could fix at least some of the issues that were coming up for individuals and businesses in our community,” she said.
Soon after, Laas officially began standing in line for local businesses and residents. For a small fee, she will collect your mail and your packages at the post office and then deliver your items to you at home or at work. Tumbleweed Delivery can be engaged for daily, weekly or custom service schedules, and can help part-time residence with issues getting mail forwarded properly. She even began delivering documents and other small packages between businesses in Big Sky.
When asked how the residential and business community of Big Sky is responding to Tumbleweed Delivery, she said, “People have been very encouraging. The concept has been well received and has already grown. People experiencing issues at the new post office are contacting me to see what I could do to help.”
At the end of the day, Laas wants a satisfying job that helps contribute to the betterment of the Big Sky community.
“Working for the [old] post office was the least stressful and often most rewarding job I’ve done over the years,” she said. “I’m looking forward to taking what I was able to do there and bring it to the next level.”
For more information about Tumbleweed Delivery services, Laas can be reached at (406) 450-9716 or tumbleweeddeliverybs@gmail.com.
Big Sky Community Spotlight is a short column that is meant to shine a light on those in Big Sky doing important work. Whether it be a profession, hobby or volunteer work, Big Sky is home to interesting people that do interesting things and as our community grows, it is important to stay connected to our neighbors and local businesses. This is more easily done if we know more about one another. We hope you enjoy getting to know your neighbors!
